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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — electric
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — a contest
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — decided
  20. current — happening now
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com